


Would You?

by honey_peach



Category: EXO (Band)
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-24
Updated: 2018-12-24
Packaged: 2019-09-26 12:37:49
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,842
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17141897
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/honey_peach/pseuds/honey_peach





	Would You?

He's waiting, but that's nothing new. The rain visits often and stays for a while every week in this part of the kingdom. He's used to it but it doesn't make him any less annoyed at its presence.

His mother had told him that he's always been put off by the storms ever since he was younger. Not at all fond of the loud, the wet, and the cold.

He can sympathize with his childhood self this dreary afternoon. He wants to be out gardening or simply enjoying a lazy breeze but instead he's trapped inside.

So he decides to find solace in the pages of a novel, one he'd been meaning to finish anyway. He has tonnes to finish after this one as well. The daffodils can wait and they're getting a nice sip anyway.

The cottage is lonely. That's the only way he can see it ever since he inherited it on his own after the passing of his parents earlier in the year.

He curls up on the sofa in front of the fireplace and cracks open the spine of the book. He picks up where he left off and is about to find out who stole the princess’s amulet when he's startled by a noise. He almost falls onto the floor, heart racing and trying to figure out exactly what it was.

Again, a thump. 

Now he recognizes where it's from. Someone or something is banging on his door. If he's to be honest, he wishes he could just ignore it until it goes away. But there's no guarantee that will happen so he gets up onto shaky legs and rests his book on the coffee table.

Does he dare ask who it is? He hasn't received an unexpected visit in months and he's paranoid first and foremost. He's all alone and anything could happen. 

Cautious. That's the word for people like him. Maybe even smart. He'd like to think so, anyway.

He makes sure to keep the chain lock in place as he cracks the door the tiniest bit. So tiny, he's struggling to see anything at all and has to widen it a bit.

There's no one standing there. Absolutely no one in his view.

Kyungsoo momentarily dreams up a scenario in which there's a ghost terrorizing him for no good reason but is stopped by yet another sound. 

“Help me, hurry up already!” A voice commands from below and Kyungsoo looks down to see...a masked man. 

Why is he masked? Why is he laying on Kyungsoo’s doorstep? Why does he have such a bad attitude for someone in need of assistance? Kyungsoo asks himself all of these questions before even beginning to formulate a response.

The mask is a matte black material, he suspects it to be iron, and it covers the bridge of the stranger’s nose and both sides of his face from the cheekbone up. It effectively hides the man’s identity because Kyungsoo can't determine if he's ever seen this person before or not with it in his way.

He kneels down, door still cracked only slightly, face pressed against the cold wood. “Who are you?”

“Is that the first thing you ask when you see someone who is clearly in need? You should be ashamed of yourself.” The stranger snaps at him with vigor and Kyungsoo feels his cheeks pinken.

He’s really being reprimanded by a stranger, one that doesn't seem to be much older than him, on his own property.

“Hey, calm down. Am I to just let anyone into my house because they pretend to be hurt? You could be here to steal!” Kyungsoo defends his honor and his home all in one go.

The man rolls his eyes. “Trust me, I have no interest in anything you could possibly have in that hovel.” 

“Hovel?” Kyungsoo’s voice reaches an octave higher than usual, gobsmacked. “Well then, seeing as you have no interest-”

“Wait!” The stranger immediately shouts.

Kyungsoo’s attempt to close the door is thwarted by a hand, skin tone warm and rich. Kyungsoo lets his eyes linger a second too long before looking at the man’s eyes again.

“I didn't mean hovel I just...I need someone to help me get out of this rain and patch up my wounds.” His lips are full and Kyungsoo stares at them while the man speaks. He convinces himself that it's only because the other parts of his face are concealed. “I'll reward you. Ah-” 

The stranger winces and clutches at his rib in pain and Kyungsoo tenses up. It won't hurt anything to help him and then send him on his way, he decides. The man can't be too dangerous seeing as how he can't even speak for too long without it becoming painful.

“Stay still. I'm going to open the door all the way so I can let you in, okay?” He really hopes he's making the right choice. If the man died on his doorstep waiting for help, he's not sure how he'd deal with it, mentally or physically.

“Okay.”

When the door is opened all the way, Kyungsoo squats down to help him up. He let's the man use him as a crutch and being as short as he is, it works out fine. 

He attempts to lead him to his couch but the man objects.

“No, there.” 

Kyungsoo looks in the same direction and sees he's looking at the fireplace. “Do you want to lay in front of it? I might be too hot, I think it would become uncomfortable.”

“Just for now, I'd been out in the rain all day before I found my way here.” He answers with a little cough at the end.

Kyungsoo feels bad so he reroutes and lays him onto the carpet near the fire, but not too close.

Kyungsoo huffs after the strain that puts on his back. “Stay put, I'm going to get some bandages and water.” 

“I assure you, I'll be right here when you get back.” The stranger says.

“Right.” It was foolish of Kyungsoo to say, of course he will. 

He scurries off to the second floor, into his parents’ room, and looks into the drawers, finding what he needs.

He comes back to find the other man looking as if he's fallen asleep, but he opens his eyes once he realizes Kyungsoo’s presence. 

Kyungsoo stops in his tracks, looking at him. He has the flicker of fire dancing in shadows against his skin and the mask, it's gone. His jawline is so defined, Kyungsoo doesn't think he's ever seen anything like it. 

He clears his throat and looks away quickly, focusing on the supplies again “I'll go fetch the water too.”

Why the man suddenly decided to unmask himself, Kyungsoo doesn't know. He's not exactly complaining though. It's more reassuring to know what he looks like when he's in his home. And under such odd circumstances.

Kyungsoo sets the basin down beside the mysterious man when he brings the water back. “Can you sit up? It will be easier that way.”

He listens to Kyungsoo’s order and pushes himself up off the area rug into a sitting position.

“Where are the worst wounds?” Kyungsoo soaks a cloth in water and rings it out.

“The worst is on my abdomen. One of them managed to stab me.” He says it quite casually but Kyungsoo pales. “It's not that bad, stop making that face.”

“i can't help it when you say something like that.” Kyungsoo reasons

It takes Kyungsoo a second to realize that the man is going to take his shirt off. 

He instantly goes red. He doesn't know why, it's just a chest. A toned, hard cheat with seriously impressive muscle definition.

“There, this should definitely speed up your process.” He tilts his head back and closes his eyes, seemingly trying to relax. Kyungsoo sees this as a symbol for him to have at it.

“What's your name?” Kyungsoo interjects. He feels like he needs to know before he continues. Maybe seeing him exposed made something spark in Kyungsoo’s brain.

“I'm...Jongin. Nice to meet you.”

Why the pause? Did his head sustain an injury as well? Kyungsoo lets it slide. “I'm Kyungsoo. Nice to meet you as well.” 

Kyungsoo starts by dabbing at the most offensive wound with the wet cloth and once it's clean he takes some salve and swatches it over, gently. 

It still causes Jongin to hiss in pain anyway. “What is that?”

Kyungsoo startles, “It's my mother's recipe. You'll heal faster with this. She used to use it on me whenever I injured my hands gardening.” 

“Mmm, the risky life you live.” Jongin jabs playfully.

Kyungsoo gives him a look but just goes back to bandaging the wound. “And how exactly is it that you became injured?” 

“I went into town and came across a nasty bunch of young men who were in need of a lesson.”

“And what lesson was that exactly?”

“That they aren't untouchable.”

Kyungsoo’s brow creases. “So you're a troublemaker?” 

“Would that bother you?” He attempts to deflect.

Kyungsoo humors him. Sort of. “Had you been concerned about bothering me, you wouldn't have knocked on my door in the first place. Now, would you?” 

The corner of Jongin’s lip curls up at this. Kyungsoo is a little annoyed that Jongin hadn't been bothered by it.

“Maybe I'll just have to make it up to you starting from now.” 

The rush of heat to his cheeks is instantaneous. He continues mending the remaining scrapes and cuts, trying to pretend Jongin didn't just say what he had said.

“Do you live alone?” Jongin tries to revive the conversation.

Normally, a question like that from a stranger should make one wary but Kyungsoo finds Jongin to be...he can't quite put his finger on it. Jongin is odd, to say the least, but he doesn't seem to want to harm Kyungsoo.

“As of now, yes.” He answers honestly, he's clearly already thrown caution to the wind by letting Jongin inside in the first place.

“As of now.” Jongin repeats, “So does that mean you plan to change that soon? Getting married, perhaps?”

Kyungsoo is taken aback by the question. It's not that odd of a question. Kyungsoo’s at the right age, he should've been married already but he resisted his parents wishes for so long that they stopped trying so hard. And now, well he's not sure who will guide him through the entire process of courtship. 

“I don't think so, not unless the perfect suitor drops from the sky.” Kyungsoo says.

“So, no betrothal then.” Jongin nods to himself.

“Not that I know of, unless my parents were hiding something.” Kyungsoo giggles.

“Like what happened with my parents.” Jongin raises an eyebrow. “Let's hope not.”

This piques Kyungsoo’s interest. “What happened?”

“I was betrothed to someone before I was even born.” Jongin recounts.

Kyungsoo’s eyes widen. That sounds more like something nobility does. “What did the other person think of this?”

“I don't know,” Jongin shakes his head, “I never met him, didn't care to. I told my parents that I wouldn't live completely by their terms and that I would be choosing who I marry.”

This entire tale sounds so scandalous to Kyungsoo. He would never have been brazen enough to disobey his parents and in turn, tell them how things would be. “How did they react to that?”

“They were upset at first. But then they realized how serious I was and knew they ran the risk of me never marrying at all.”

Kyungsoo nods, understanding. That's probably a fear shared by all parents. He still thinks some things about Jongin's story are odd though.

“So, your family sounds a bit...they seem to be of a higher class.” He tests the waters.

Jongin is now wearing an expression of amusement. “Do they? You're quite observant, smart. I like that about you.”

“It's hardly been long enough for you to give compliments like that.” Kyungsoo shies away from that attention, as usual.

Jongin seems to notice and wants to soothe Kyungsoo’s nerves. “It's been plenty of time. You've welcomed me into your home, showed me hospitality, and now you're taking care of my injuries. That's all I need to form my opinion of you.”

Kyungsoo has turned bright pink from the shower of compliments.

“Kyungsoo, if I tell you something, can you promise that you won't look at me differently?” Jongin all of a sudden has a serious look on his face.

Kyungsoo stills at this. It's a very heavy question to ask, who knows what Jongin could be planning to say. He can't promise anything. “I don't think I can say that, honestly. I can say that I'll try not to judge negatively.”

That answer seems to be good enough for Jongin as he begins to speak again. “This is something that's not actually a secret, It's just something that I've been pretending isn't true for the past couple of days.”

“What is it?” Kyungsoo waits with bated breath.

Jongin looks at him intensely, as if waiting for Kyungsoo to realize something. When he doesn't get the reaction he hopes for, he continues. “I'm the prince.” 

Kyungsoo just looks at him with confusion. “Prince Jongin? The prince of this kingdom.”

“Yes.” Jongin feels somewhat offended at not being recognized but he realizes that Kyungsoo doesn't get out much. “Is that so hard to believe?”

“Well, yes. I've only heard about the prince being ruthless and unforgiving. But you. you've been so kind to me. You don't seem that way at all. Is this why you were wearing a mask?”

Jongin finds himself smiling at Kyungsoo’s adorable, oblivious nature. “Yes. And since you feel that way, I want to ask something of you.” 

What could Jongin possibly have to ask him? A prince certainly has access to more than he does.

Kyungsoo’s owlish eyes are wide as ever and Jongin swoons. “Will you let me court you?”

Kyungsoo blinks a couple times before it sinks in. “Me? Being courted by you?”

“Yes.” Jongin confirms. “There's no one else as beautiful.”

Kyungsoo is turning into a tomato at this point. It's a huge decision but Kyungsoo thinks of all the times his parents emphasized wanting him to end up with a suitor from as high a class as possible. It doesn't get any higher than royalty. 

He'd be making them so proud, he has to at least give it a try. “But I don't know anything about courtship, you’d have to teach me as we go along.”

“Okay.” Jongin shrugs. As simple as that.

“That's it, you're fine with it? Kyungsoo is in disbelief. Really, of the entire situation to begin with.

“Yes.” Jongin nods.

“What about the fact that you're a prince and I'm just...regular.” Kyungsoo deflates. Surely this will keep them apart.

“Remember, I told my parents I choose. Trust me, they'll be relieved when I bring you home.” Jongin laughs.

“Okay.” Kyungsoo smiles. “Fine, I'm willing to try it.” 

“Really?” Jongin is pleasantly surprised.

“Yes, I like you too and I figure It's better to pursue this than to stay at home, alone, wasting away in my youth.”

“You're so well spoken.” Jongin compliments.

“Thank you.” Kyungsoo can't handle all of these compliments from Jongin.

“After all this time, searching for someone to be with, what made you choose me?” Kyungsoo ponders.

Jongin reaches out and caresses Kyungsoo’s hair, bringing his hand to rest under his chin. “Just as you said about me, you were kind to me this whole time. You didn't know who I was, you were just helping me because that's the type of person you are. I need someone like you in my life.”

“Well, I did consider leaving you there.” Kyungsoo pouts.

Jongin smiles widely at this. “I was being extremely rude, I deserved it.”

“So what now? After you're well enough to walk, will you go back home?” Kyungsoo is sad at the prospect, but it's not like a prince would want to stay in his humble home.

“Yes.” Jongin can see Kyungsoo’s mood crumble. “And you'll be coming with me as well.”

“Really? I don't think I'll fit in there though.” Kyungsoo worries.

“It's not about fitting in. I like the fact that you're different, Kyungsoo.” Jongin reassures him.

Kyungsoo takes a deep breath. “Okay, I'll try. My mother said you should try everything at least once.” 

“Good. I have a gift for you.” Jongin announces.

“A gift, what is it?” Kyungsoo asks.

“It's something special that I've never given to anyone else.” Jongin says, leaning up to get closer to Kyungsoo’s face.

Kyungsoo feels his ears heat up, he thinks he knows. “Is it…”

He doesn't finish the sentence because Jongin closes the distance and settles his warm lips snugly against his. A light press, waiting for Kyungsoo to lean more into it. He does, bringing a hand up to Jongin's cheek in the process.

Yes, he's definitely looking forward to more of these.


End file.
